The device of this invention pertains to a mechanical apparatus for the controlled removal and re-insertion of the cork from and into the conventional champagne bottle which has a circumferential rib around the neck of the bottle near the spout.
The unopened champagne bottle can be, particularly if agitated, under great pressure. Many people, ceilings, and light fixtures have been injured or damaged when struck by the champagne bottle cork, which can be propelled under great force when the bottle is opened. This problem is compounded when the cork is tightly stuck in the bottle such that great exertion is bottle is usually agitating the bottle, albeit unknowingly, in his or her attempts to open it. Also, because the person is intent upon winning out over the stubborn cork, the person may not be as careful as he or she should be in preventing the released cork from striking someone or something. Lastly, when the bottle is agitated, then opened, a significant portion of the champagne inside is lost.
These problems have previously been discussed in Giebeler, U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,267, wherein several embodiments of a champagne bottle opener are disclosed.
One of the draWbacks encountered With the prior art devices was that they did not work equally well with all of the various sizes and shapes of bottles and corks on the market. The champagne or sparkling wine industry is expanding, with more companies producing marketed products, so there is an expanding number of different bottle and cork shapes available. Moreover, it appears that innovation in the design and material for corks is further changing and increasing the cork configurations to which the preferred cork remover will be adaptable. Therefore, there exists a need for a cork remover that is so adaptable.